Hey Chris, forgot to ask, but what crankset do you own that is 44/34/24 ?
that is not a usual standard stock set of chainrings.
I'd be curious to see a photo of it.
square taper?
outboard bearings?
It's a Sugino AT that I have a couple sets of rings for, right now it's 46/36/26.
I also have a 3 ring 104/64 spider for a Carmina (square taper), a riv silver double that could be triple (external), and an older XT triple (external), I have crankset flexibility it's just a matter of choosing the right one. If it was just over Brenner pass or something like that I'd just run a mountain double in like 34/22 but it's the lead up to the mountains that makes me think about these things. On that bike I'm happiest with a 36 ring but I have a feeling that running through Frankonia I'm going to want something larger if I do I could pull the VBC off one of my other bikes and pick up a 24 inner ring and say run a 40/24 or do much the same thing with a Carmina.
This whole thread is just me thinking out loud